Comminution device



1964 A. LE ROY BURKETT 3,160,354

COMMIINIUTION DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1964 INVENTOR.

U1 1 ALBERT LEROY BURKETT ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 La ROY BURKETT 3,160,354

COMMINUTION DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Filed Feb. 5, 1964 ATTORNEY 1964 A. LE ROY BURKETT 3,160,354

COMMINUTION DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1964 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 d? INVENTOR.

F g. ALBERT LEROY BURKETT BYWY- ATTORNEY 1964 A. LE ROY BURKETT 3,160,354

COMMINUTION DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 3 1 g' 5 ALBERT LEROY BURKETT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,160,354 COMMINUTION DEVICE Albert LeRoy Burlrett, 652 Corona St., Denver, Colo. Filed Feb. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 342,633 3 Claims. (Cl. 241-275) This invention relates to a comminution device for reducing the particle size of relatively coarse materials to a mesh suitable for desired sequential steps.

It more particularly is designed for the wet attrition of mineral bearing rock for exposing and freeing the mineral values therefrom for subsequent milling operations. It will be found valuable, however, whenever it is desired to pulverize, size and classify any frangible material.

The principal object of the invention is to eliminate the usual grinding rolls and reciprocating jaws of the conventional crushers and grinders and to provide a machine having a single, movable, freely, rotating element which will have a minimum absorption of power and a minimum of upkeep expense, yet will efficiently and rapidly deliver a uniform grained sludge of any material of any desired grain size.

Another object is to provide a comminution device which, when desired, can be used to free the grains from conglomerate material without crushing the grains to produce a product of uniform grain size such as fine sand.

A further object is to produce a comminutor for reducing materials to an impalpable powder, when desired,

without producing objectionable dust.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all .views of the drawings and throughout the description.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the co-mminutor;

FIG. 2 is a cross section therethrough, on a slightly reduced scale, looking downwardly on the line 22, FIG. 1;

FlG. 3 is a similar cross section looking downwardly on the line 33, FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical, slightly enlarged, axial section through a barrel, in which the comminuting mechanism is enclosed, showing the internal elements in side elevation; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, verticahaxial section through the said internal elements which will be later described.

The improved comminuter employes a vertical, eight sided, octagonal barrel 12 supported on four structural I-beam columns 13. The barrel is formed by welding eight vertical side plates together along their vertical contacting edges to form spaced, vertical, welded joints. The inner flanges of the I-beams are cutaway throughout the length of the barrel to form a T-shaped section. The webs of the T-shaped sections are simultaneously welded along each alternate welded joint as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The complete I-beam sections project downwardly below the barrel 12 to form four supporting legs.

An octagonal-pyramidal, removable top cap 14 is bolted, as indicated at 15, to close the top of the barrel. The topcap 14 is provided with an axially-positioned vertical universal shaft bearing 16 at its apex. A flanged feed nipple 17 opens through the top cap 14 closely adjacent and to one side of the bearing 15.

The bottom of the barrel is closed by an eccentric, octagonal, inverted pyramidal, hopper bottom 18, the low 3,1 0,354 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 point of which is positioned to one side of the barrel axis. A product discharge nipple 19 opens from the low point of the hopper bottom 18, as shown in FIG. 4.

A flanged bearing sleeve 20 extends vertically downward from the axis of the hopper bottom to the flange of which a circular bearing-supporting plate 21 is bolted by means of suitable suspension bolts 22. The bearingsnpporting plate 21 supports a conventional, roller-thrust bearing 23 which can be axially centered in the slevee 20, on the plate 21, by means of set screws 24 which contact a bearing cup 25 tightly surrounding the bearing 23.

A tubular, vertical drive shaft 26 is journalled at its upper extremity in the top bearing 16 and extends axially downward in the barrel 12. A solid stub shaft 27 is tightly and fixedly mounted in the lower extremity of the tubular drive shaft 26 and extends downwardly therefrom. The stub shaft 27 is journalled in the thrust bearing 23 and extends downwardly through a sealing unit 28 which seals the stub shaft to the plate 21 to prevent fluid escape. The sealing unit is supported on the stub shaft by means of a suitable set collar 29. A multiple belt pulley 3% is fixedly mounted on the lower extremity of the stub shaft 27. A base collar 31 surrounds and is fixed to both the tubular shaft 26 and the stub shaft 27 by means of diametric key pins 32 so as to transmit the weight of the shafts and their accouterments to the thrust bearing 23.

A sealing collar 33 is formed .on and extends upwardly from the hopper bottom 18 and circumferentially surrounds the shafts 26 and 27. A disc seat 34, having an upper flange 35, is fixed to the shafts 26 and 27, immediately above the sealing collar 33, by means of similar key pins 36, and extends downwardly within the sealing collar. A cylindrical sealing chamber 37 is bolted to the flange 35' of the disc seat 33 by means of suitable bolts 38. A plurality of annular, flexible, resilient sealing rings .39 are clamped to the bottom edge of the chamber 37 by means of clamping rings iii and clamp bolts 41. The sealing rings 39 frictionally engage and rotate about the collar 33 to prevent the entrance of sand and water to the thrust bearing 23.

The purpose of the disc seat is to mount and support a plurality of similar, circular rotor plates 42 upon'the tubular drive shaft 26. The rotor plates are maintained in vertically spaced relation on the shaft .by means of spacing spools 43.

An axially-inclined, octagonal, funnel plate 44 having an open center 46 is positioned between the adjacent vertically-spaced rotor plates. The funnel plates 44 comprise fiat, inclined segment-shaped plates secured upon angle shelves mounted on and projecting inwardly from the wall of the barrel in vertically spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of, but intermediate of, the rotor plates.

Each rotor plate comprises a circular, flat metallic plate, of an outer diameter substantially /s of the minimum internal diameter of the barrel 12, and provided with an axial opening which will snugly and slidably receive the tubular shaft 26. A plurality, preferably four, of upstanding radial vanes 47 are secured on the upper surface of each rotor plate, such as by means of suitable attachment bolts 48. For exceedingly abrasive service, the surfaces of the rotor plates may be covered with a rubber shielding 49.

The spacing spools 43 are tubular to slidably receive the tubular drive shaft 26. Each spool is formed with an annular, open-bottomed, circular, jet distributing box 56 around its lower extremity and with an annular top flange 51 round its upper extremity. The circular sides of the jet boxes terminate above the adjacent rotor plates to provide circular outlets 52 for the boxes. The top flanges 51 are provided with oppositely positioned key holes 53 for receiving two downwardly projecting key studs 54, with which, each rotor plate 42 is provided.

The rotor plates are assembled on the tubular shaft 26 by placing the lowermost plate on the flange 35 of 7 the chamber 37 with its key studs 54 projecting through key holes in the flange thereof. A funnel plate 44 is now placed on the angle shelf 45 immediately above the installed plate. A spool '43 is then slid downwardly on the shaft against the installed rotor plate and a second rotor plate is placed on the spool with its key studs 54 engaging thekey holes 53 in the top flange 51. This is continued, with the rotor plates and funnel plates alterhating, until the desired number of rotor plates (eight as illustrated) are in position on the shaft.

A stationary water supply pipe 55 extends axially downward into the upper extremity of the tubular shaft 26 and is rotatably sealed therein in any suitable manner. The pipe 55 supplies water to the hollow, tubular shaft and the water discharges through jet openings 57 into the distributing boxes 50 from which it discharges through the circular outlets 52 below the circular sides of the boxes in relatively thin, horizontal, annular streams covering the entire tops of the rotor discs.

The vertical tubular shaft 26 is driven from a suitable motor 58 through the medium of a plurality of V- belts 59 trained about the multiple V-belt pulley 30 keyed on the lower extremity of the stub shaft 27.

it is believed the operation of the comminutor will be apparent from the above. Briefly, the material to be comminuted is fed into the barrel at the feed nipple 17 onto the top-most 'rotor plate and is violently thrown and washed outwardly against the angle shelves 45 and against the eight flat sides of the barrel resulting in a diminution of the particle size. The material then flows downwardly and axially inward on the uppermost funnel plate 44 and drops through the axial opening 46 to the sequential rotor plate where the comminution is repeated until the material passes the lowermost plate and flows from the discharge nipple 19.

The speed of the shaft determines the final particle size. The higher the speed, the finer the mesh of the resulting product. Speeds of from 600 rpm. to 3000 rpm. have been used in practice to obtain accurate desired sizing of various materials. The use of the water increases the capacity of the device and provides a sludge which can be readily concentrated in later milling operations. When moisture is'not desired, the flow of water can be discontinued.

The comminutor has been illustrated with eight rotor plates. 'It is to be understood that it may have more or less plates as conditions require.

If frequent access is desired to the barrel interior, the

barrel may be formed in four sections of two plates,

each section being mounted on vertical hinges 60 secured to the columns 13. This allows the sections to be swung outwardly to expose the interior of the barrel. The funnel plates 44 attached to the angle shelves 45 of each section swing outwardly therewith. Any suitable locking closure may be provided for holding the sections closed such as the straps 62 and bolts 63, as shown in FIG. 2.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A comminutor comprising: a barrel having a plurality of vertical flatsides about a vertical axis; a cap member provided with a feed nipple and a hopper bottom provided with a discharge nipple closing the top and bottom, respectively, of said barrel; shaft bearings positioned at the axis of both said cap member and said hopper bottom; a vertical, tubular, power-driven shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings; a plurality of tubularspacing spools surrounding said shaft in superimposed relation; a top flange on each of said spools; a horizontal, circular rotor disc axially resting upon the top flange of each spool; means for preventing relative rotation between said discs and said flanges; and opencentered, axially-inclined, funnel plates supported from said barrel about said shaft and positioned between adjacent rotor plates.

2. A comminutor as described in claim 1 having a disc seat element fixedly mounted on said tubular shaft below the lowermost rotor disc and means for transmitting movement from said disc seat element to said lowermost disc.

3. A comminutor as described in claim 2 having an annular distributing box formed on the lower extremity of each spool in spaced relation to the rotor disc therebelow and jet openings conducting water from said tubular shaft to said distributing boxes for discharge through the spaces between said boxes and said rotor discs over the upper surface of the latter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11,011 6/54 Westrup 241--43 X 1,636,033 7/27 Agnew 241-275 2,507,614 5/50 Sarland.

2,906,465 9/59 Sweet 241-275 X 3,065,919 11/62 Burkett et al 24l--275 X ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMMINUTOR COMPRISING: A BARREL HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL FLAT SIDES ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; A CAP MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A FEED NIPPLE AND A HOPPER BOTTOM PROVIDED WITH A DISCHARGE NIPPLE CLOSING THE TOP AND BOTTOM, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID BARREL; SHAFT BEARINGS POSITIONED AT THE AXIS OF BOTH SAID CAP MEMBER AND SAID HOPPER BOTTOM; A VERTICAL, TUBULAR, POWER-DRIVEN SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BEARINGS; A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR SPACING SPOOLS SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT IN SUPERIMPOSED RELATION; A TOP FLANGE ON EACH OF SAID SPOOLS; A HORIZONTAL, CIRCULAR ROTOR DISC AXIALLY RESTING UPON THE TOP FLANGE OF EACH SPOOL; MEANS FOR PREVENTING RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID DISCS AND SAID FLANGES; AND OPENCENTERED, AXIALLY-INCLINED, FUNNEL PLATES SUPPORTED FROM SAID BARREL ABOUT SAID SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN ADJACENT ROTOR PLATES. 